Baldridge Awards Presented

Vice President Dick Cheney and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez presented six U.S. organizations with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest honor for performance excellence and quality achievement.

“With innovative practices, a strong commitment to excellence and visionary leadership, the 2005 Baldrige Award recipients represent the best of American business, education and health care,” said Commerce Secretary Gutierrez. He added, “Since 1988, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program has gained world-wide recognition for the vital role it is playing in helping organizations achieve and sustain excellence.”

The 2005 Baldrige Award recipients are:

• Sunny Fresh Foods, Inc., Monticello, Minn. (manufacturing)
• DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations, New Orleans, La. (service)
• Park Place Lexus, Plano, Texas (small business)
• Richland College, Dallas, Texas (education);
• Jenks Public Schools, Jenks, Okla. (education)
• Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, Mich. (health care).
  

This is the first time that a community college, an automotive dealership and an oil industry business have received a Baldrige Award. Sunny Fresh Foods is a two-time Baldrige Award recipient; it received the award in the small business category in 1999. Baldrige Award recipients can reapply after five years.

Following a six-month evaluation process, including an on-site visit by a team of examiners, the 2005 Baldrige Award recipients were selected from among 64 applicants. An independent board of examiners evaluated them in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and results.

posted by Consumer Help Web Editorial Team at 1:08 PM |